Track rail spike



Feb. 28, 1933. FARlEs 1,899,264

TRACK RAIL SPIKE Filed Oct. 10, 1931 FIG- llZ I N VEN TOR:

WITNESSQQ V v I floeri FariS, j 6 W v 6L. UM/M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACK RAIL SPIKE Application filed October 10, 1931. Serial No. 568,121.

This invention relates to spikes such as are used in railway construction to secure the track rails, as well as the customary tie plates, whereby the rails are directly supported, to

the ties.

In connection with spikes of the kind referred to, I aim to incorporate provisions, which, incident to drivingof the spikes, will definitely limit the extent of their penetration into the ties, with predetermination of working clearances between the overhangs of the spike heads and the base flanges of the track rails; and, which will also operate to prevent subsequent creeping of the tie plates on the ties.

The indicated desiderata I attain, as hereinafter fully explained, by forming spikes, immediately below their heads, with slopesided downwardly-tapering wedge-like portions adapted to function as stops in conjunction with the edges of the spike openings in the tie plates, thereby to determine the ultimate position of the spikes and to secure the tie plates for the purposes above pointed out.

Other inherent advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed de-v scription following in connection with the attached drawing, whereof, Fig. I shows a fragmentary cross section of a railway with one of its track rails and tie plates secured with my improved spikes,

Fig. II is a detail sectional view on a larger scale taken as indicated bythe arrows IIII in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a. detail plan sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows IIIIII in Fig. I; and

Figs. IV, V and VI are fragmentary views corresponding to Figs. I, II and III, showing an alternative embodiment of my invention.

In Fig. I of these illustrations, I have shown at A and B, how my improved spikes 45 are intended to be used insecuring a track rail and a tie plate to a tie. As delineated,

each spike has a head 10 atop a parallelsided square section shank 11 that terminates at the bottom in a chisel point 12. At 13, 50 the head projects sharply to form an overhang beyond the inner side 14 of the shank 11, the under-face of the overhang being slightly inclined to the horizontal to conform with the angularity of the top face of the flange 15 of the track rail 16 as'well as to the top surface of the edge flange of the tie plate 22. Immediately below its head 10, the spike is formed with a downwardlytapering wedge-like portion 17 defined by slopes 18 which merge into the opposite sides 19 of the shank 11 as shown to the best advantage in Fig. II; the inner side 14 and the back 20 of the said shank being, in this instance, substantially straight and continuous throughout. Through cooperation of the slopes 18 with opposite side edges of the square spike opening 21 at A in the tie plate 22 after the manner shown in Figs. II and III, the tapered wedge-like portion 17 functions as a stop to definitely limit the extent to which the spike can be driven into the tie 23 with predetermination of a clearance at 24 between the overhang 13 of the spike head 10 and the base flange 15 of the rail 16, whereby the said rail is accorded a definite amount of-up and down freedom for capacity to respond to flexure under load. At the same time, the binding action of the slopes 18 of the wedge-like portion 17 with the corresponding edges of the opening 21 in the tie plate 22, as in Figs. II and III, insures rigid anchorage of the latter against the possibility of creeping on the tie 23 in the direction of the rail 16 at the region A. A further advantage of the tapered portion 17 is that .it reinforces the head of the spike I with increase of its resistivity to being pulled off incident to withdrawal of the spike with a claw bar. The tapered portion 17 of the spike, it will be noted from Fig. I, is of a length less than the thickness of the tie plate 22 at the spike opening 21, and accordingly cannot ever enter the wood of the tie.

At B, the tapering portion 17 of the spike cooperates with the opposite side edges of the opening 25 in the tie plate 22 in precisely the same manner and for the same purpose as described in connection with spike at-A.

The alternative form of my invention shown in Figs. IVVI is identical with the first described form except'in that the wedge ortion 17a has slopes 18a on all four sides. norder to reclude the necessity for repetitive descrlption all the other parts of the spike are identified with the same reference numerals previously employed with addition of the suflix a in each instance. With the modified form of spike of Figs. IV-VI the tie plate 22a is securely anchored against 1 shifting transversely of the length of the rail, i. e., along the tie 23a as well as len hwise of the rail, due to contact of the our slopes ,18a of the wed e-like portion 17a with all the side edges 0% the opening 21a in the said tie late.

Having t us described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a track rail and a tie plate; of a spike having a parallel sided shank, a head to overhang the base flange of the track rail, and a tapered portion immediately below the head mergent with the shank, adapted, by coaction with the edge of the spike opening in the tie plate, to limit 25 the extent of penetration of the shank into the tie with predetermination of a clearance interval between the spike head and the rail flange, and to preclude creeping of the tie plate on the tie, said tapered portion being of a length less than the thickness of the tie plate at the spike opening.

2. The combination with a track rail and a tie plate; of a spike having a parallel sided shank, a head to overhang the base flange of the track rail, and a tapered portion immediately below the head mergent with the shank, adapted, by coaction with the edges of the spike opening in the tie plate, to limit the extent of penetration of the shank into the tie with attendant anchorage of the plate against creeping on the tie, said tapered portion being of a length less than the thickness of the tie plate at the spike opening.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this 8th day of October, 1931.

ROBERT FARIES; 

